10 reasons to stop taking yoga selfies

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By: Sara Kleinsmith
Sara Kleinsmith is a Yoga Therapist and writer in Austin, Texas. She owns her own private practice, SKY. She specializes in Corporate Yoga, Yoga for Seniors and Yoga for Rehabilitation. When not ...

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Recently, there has been a lot of conversation in the yoga community about whether or not pictures of people doing Asana poses is inspiring or discouraging. While yoga selfies are great advertising tools for yoga teachers and new practitioners alike, here are the top 10 reasons to avoid capturing yoga Selfies:

Yoga selfies

1. Because “Quick, quick, take the picture!” is not a powerful mantra.

2. Because doing inversions on a railroad track can be dangerous! Haven’t you seen Stand by Me or Fried Green Tomatoes?

3. Because we do not practice yoga to entertain or impress.

4. Because you could rip a hole or get dirt on your $108 Yoga pants.

Also Read>>> Top 10 Best online Yoga Teacher Training 

5. Because that trash can lid is not as strong as it looks.

6. Because Asana practice is dynamic, fluid, movement and a picture is a still image that only captures hints of a brief moment in time. 

7. Because potential students may see them and think “I can never do this.”

8. Because yoga is not about how you look.

9. Because being a living example is more powerful than a picture (even one in front of a sunset).

10. Because you do not need to prove anything to anyone.

If taking yoga selfies is important to you because you feel that it is a summation of the success of your practice and you hope to share this with others, by all means, keep clicking and posting. But if you’d prefer to explore a deeper practice, try using a new filter. Pictures can be beautiful, inspiring and fun.

But no matter how great they are, they will never fully capture the uncapturable experience of the practice of Yoga. Keep on inspiring in your own way, and remember to practice safe selfies (no train tracks).